My daughter has acquired many toys in her 17 months of life. One that she has been favoring lately is the Little Tikes Bug Tunes Caterpillar 2-in-1 Piano. This caterpillar has a colorful xylophone up its back, as well as piano keys attached. The strikers for the xylophone are placed as antennae and are attached with string so that they do not get lost. The box even comes with a few songs that you can cut out and place in a special holder on the back of the caterpillar. Be sure to check out this product on the Little Tikes web site for printable music.
This toy has enabled my daughter to explore her inate love for music. She is constantly reaching through her toy box, past her dolls and building blocks, to get to this toy. She likes to take the strikers and bang on the piano notes, along with the xylophone. I have been trying to show her how to play it, but she always grabs the strikers back from me. Sometimes she’ll let me play her a song. In fact, I taught myself how to play part of “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Since Beethoven’s music has been one of her favorites since before birth (I listened to and played classical music when I was pregnant), she dances and claps while I play.
Music can be an important part of learning for your child. Not only can it help them sharpen their listening, but playing with a toy such as the Bug Tunes Caterpillar can help teach your child pitch, tempo, and rhythm. If you are a musically-inclined parent like I am, you and your child can share that special bond with this toy.
The Little Tikes Bug Tunes Caterpillar 2-in-1 Piano is available from Little Tikes, Target, Toys-R-Us, and other retailers for approximately $13-16.